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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Nigeria face severe challenges. Both male and female expressions of homosexuality are illegal in Nigeria and punishable by up to 14 years in prison. There are no legal protections for LGBTQ people in Nigeria—a largely conservative country of more than 230 million people, split between a mainly Muslim north and a mainly Christian south. Very few LGBTQ people are open about their sexuality, as violence against them is frequent. According to PinkNews, Nigerian authorities generally target the LGBTQ community. Many LGBTQ Nigerians seek asylum to countries with progressive laws.
Attempted same-sex marriages have also been criminalised within Nigeria since 2013. The maximum punishment in the 12 northern states that have adopted Shari'a law is death by stoning. That law applies to all Muslims and to those who have voluntarily consented to application of the Shari'a courts. In southern Nigeria and under the secular criminal laws of northern Nigeria, the maximum punishment for same-sex sexual activity is 14 years' imprisonment.
According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97% of Nigerian residents believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept, which was the second-highest rate of non-acceptance in the 45 countries surveyed. In 2015, a survey by an organisation founded by a Nigerian homosexual activist based in London claimed this percentage decreased to 94%. In this survey by Bisi Alimi, as of the same period the percentage of Nigerians who agree LGBT persons should receive education, healthcare, and housing is 30%. The level of disapproval declined slightly to 91% in another Pew Research Center poll in 2019.